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T O P I C R E V I E W

JuanDiablo

I have a headset used by Major (Gus Grissom) on Project Mercury 4 "Liberty Bell 7" sub-orbital flight on July 21, 1961, NASA p/n EC 30104, Serial 372, model MS 52-11. This came from the estate of a former NASA employee.

I was wondering if there is a way to research this item for authenticity?

capoetc

I think Grissom had his space suit and helmet on for the entire flight, so it was likely not used by him on the flight.

It could have been (1) used by him as CAPCOM for another flight, or (2) used by the NASA employee you mentioned on the MR-4 flight.

Unfortunately, if you don't have specific photo and written documentation for the headset, then it would likely have to be sold as "owned by XXXXXX, who was a member of the launch control team" and "possibly used during "XXX mission".

Got any pictures of the headset? That would help -- you can e-mail to me if you don't know how to post here. Also, it would help if you could divulge the name of the NASA employee -- higher likelihood it was used in mission control if he was a flight controller.

JuanDiablo

This has a card with it stating it was flown by Grissom on a sub-orbital flight lasting 15 min. 30 sec. One of two headsets carried on flight. I think there may be some verifying documentation?

I have contacted Plantronics who is likely the Mfg.? All other items from this estate have been authentic.

dsenechal

If it is Plantronics, could not have been used by Grissom during his Mercury flight. Pacific Electronics (later known as Plantronics) was not formed until April 1961, and Wally Schirra was first to use any of their devices in Sigma 7. Grissom's helmet used standard Mark IV earphones, and dual Roanwell Corp. microphones. Mission control used the clunky old-fashioned Western Electric headsets for most of the Mercury era.

ejectr

I thought I remember reading that Grissom's flight helmet sank with Liberty Bell 7. He had his helmet off in the water and almost drowned because the neck dam wasn't tight and he left a vent open in his suit.

How could this headset be his flight headset from his helmet?

Robert Pearlman

Grissom's flown MR-4 helmet, as said to have been verified by its serial number, is on exhibit at the Grissom Memorial Museum in Spring Hill State Park in Indiana.

Grissom had difficulty recollecting his actions at this point, but he was certain that he had not touched the hatch-activation plunger. He doffed his helmet, grasped the instrument panel with his right hand, and scurried out the sloshing hatchway. Floating in the sea, he was thankful that he had unbuckled himself earlier from most of his harness, including the chest restraints. Otherwise he might not have been able to abandon.

Joel Katzowitz

My recollection of the story is he removed his helmet while still in the spacecraft and rolled up his neck damn. He later said that deploying his neck damn was the smartest thing he'd done all day. His helmet had apparently sunk with the spacecraft but was later found floating in the ocean and retrieved by the recovery team.

A ship's officer would later hand Grissom his helmet, which had been retrieved from the water. To the astronaut's astonishment, the man told him it had been plucked from the sea right next to a circling ten-foot shark.

ejectr

Amazing! I even read your book Francis, but didn't remember that passage.

My apologies for the hijack to the gentleman wanting info on his headset.

FFrench

No, your question was important as part of the conversation, to establish the helmet was ever recovered.

JuanDiablo

I don't think this headset was part of the helmet. I think it was worn in or under the cloth "Snoopy" cap?

Also my research indicates this headset predates the Plantronics M-50 by a few months? I was hoping someone might recognize the logo or part numbers?